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School board budget process moves forward

Kelowna based school board not expecting to face the same pressures as past years
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The annual 2017/2018 school budget bylaw received three readings at Central Okanagan board meeting Wednesday.

The district’s budget is pegged at $253,910,135 for the upcoming school season and it is not expecting to have to reduce programs as it has in the past.

“It’s larger than last year because of the allocation from the Supreme Court decision,” said trustee Rolli Cacchioni.

The district has also received more funding because of student population growth, he said.

In past years, funding cuts had been made to the technology budget, transportation, leadership programs and how much funding each school receives.

The school district may not face the same budget pressure this year however Cacchioni said there is still $11 million that has been cut from the district overall that has not been replaced.

Meanwhile, at this point the district can only speculate on what the formation of a new government would mean for funding.

“Both the Green Party and NDP are in favour of additional education funding, so if that comes to pass we could be in a better position, but we don’t know that,” he said, adding the Liberals have also talked about increasing educational funding.